Where is this locomotive now

[Pat Fahey]

Hi
I don't that often on this website,, but I do have a question.
In the very early days of the WW&F I am now talking the revival of the railroad/
In the book Two Feet to Tidewater,, at the WW&F on page 307  as the new Sheepscot  engine house is being built.
At that time the WW&F owned a standard gauge switch engine 0-4-0T that came from Crotch Island Marble Quarry ?
I have a slide of the locomotive just after the WW&F  received the Randell locomotive .. so where is the Standard gauge locomotive now,, where is it located???
When I last visited the WW&F with the Mass Bay RRE,, in 2018 the locomotive was gone.   Thank you Pat.

[James Patten]

We sold the locomotive to Ed Gilbert a number of years ago - he ran Beaver Brook Farm and Transportation Museum in Mont Vernon.  I think Beaver Brook is no longer operating, I don't know if the locomotive is still there or not.

[Bruce Wilson]

Some of the equipment that was at Beaver Brook, went to the Silver Lake operation in Madison, N.H.

When Silver Lake disbanded, the green Plymouth gas-mech'l engine was acquired by the Bridgton Railroad Museum. I have not seen the former Crotch Island locomotive at either the Gilbert (Beaver Brook) property or the Silver Lake museum.

There is a 2' operation in New York that purchased the former Edaville Henschel (Edaville no. 6) from the Gilbert collection. Perhaps the old saddle tanker went along to become a display?

If you know Stephen Boothroyd at the Rome & Fort Bull Railroad at Erie Canal Village, he may be able to help out on this one.

Good luck and let us know if you are able to find out where the engine is now.

[Bruce Wilson]

Pat, you might wish to check on the Richfield Springs Scenic Railroad in New York. On their Facebook page there is a short video of the ex-Edaville Henschel operating on what looks like compressed air. I couldn't find anything about the Crotch Island loco, but enjoyed seeing the Henschel moving along.

[Ed Lecuyer]

At last report, the Crotch Island locomotive was still "on display" at the now-defunct Silver Lake Railroad in Madison, NH.

Photo from 2015 is attached.

Photo From:
http://www.trainweb.org/chris/15silver.html

Caption:
Crotch Island 0-4-2T 2 built by H.K. Porter in 1917. It is a former granite hauling locomotive from one of the Maine islands. The engine ended up on display in Freeport, Maine at the Freeport Trading Post. It was sold to Ed Gilbert in New Hampshire in the late 1990;s and went into his collection, which included lots of former Edaville equipment. At some point, it was part of the Wiscasset, Waterville and Farmington collection then left before 2000, moved to Beaver Brook Farm in Hollis, New Hampshire and lastly to Madison.

[Pat Fahey]

Hi
I would like to thank you all, for all the replies,, I do have a slide of the locomotive that was at the Silver Lake RR.., that was posted thank you,, Pat.

[Bruce Wilson]

Thanks for putting up that photo link Ed. I never would have recognized that locomotive. With the saddle tank removed and the new cab, she sure looks different. If I remember correctly, when delivered to Sheepscot, a coat of lime green paint adorned her. While the engine was still up on blocking, Joe Ruzcykij quickly put a coat of black on all surfaces.

I remember a gentleman from California, was very interested in having that steamer for a museum he was a member of. The museum was in or near a former Navy yard and during WWII, the Navy had such saddle tank engines in use. Much like the Charlestown Naval Shipyard in Boston.

Hopefully that Loco will go to a good home.

[Dag Bonnedal]

Are most of the items on this page wrong then?
Would be nothing new, the site is riddled with wrong "facts".
https://www.steamlocomotive.info/vlocomotive.cfm?Display=1711

[Ed Lecuyer]

The "Notes" on that page are from 20 years ago; they may have been accurate then - or someone confused the WW&F with the Rockland Roundhouse.
The rest of the page looks accurate, including listing the location as Madison, NH.

[Gavin Dalessandro]

Didn't Silver Lake close?